Number-plate support for vehicles.



W. B. HUGHES.

. NUMBER PLATE SUPPORT FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10. 1909.

962,221 Patented June 21, 1910.

.52 7.4 WZYZZEESEE TTNTTTED @TATlEts WILLIAM .B. HUGHES.

OF CLEVELAND. OHI'O.

NUMBER-PLATE SUPPORT FOR VELICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 21, 1914).

Application filed July 10, 1909. Serial No. 506.885.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM ll. l'lL'Glllih', a citizen of the llnited States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of iiyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Number-Plate Supports for Vehicles, of which the. following is a full, clear, and exact dcscriptitm, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to devices, such as brackets t'or supporting number or license plates that arecarried by autmnolnles.

The general objects of the invention are to provide a bracket or support of this kind which, while comparatively inexpensive of production, is of great adaptability, whereby it. may be applied to various styles of carriers or supports with which vehicles are provided and which will insure ellicient illumination the plates by the lamps.

Generally speaking, the invention may be defined as consisting of the combinations of elements embodied in the claims hereto anncxedand illustrated in the drawings forming part. hereof, wherein- Figure 1 represents an elevation of my bracket, showing the lamp and number plate thereon; Fig. 2 represents a top plan View of the parts shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 represents plan view, and Fig. 4 an elevation of the bracket shown in the preceding fig- V a ures; 1* 1g. 5 represents a top plan view, and

Fig. 6 a bottom plan view of the bracket, showing a modified form of lamp post.

Describing the parts by reference characters, 1 denotes the bracket generally, the same comprising a base 2 provided at one end with a socket adapted for application to a plurality oi? supports and a socket for the license or number plate carrier and hav ing at the opposite end a post for the lamp.

The post is designated at 3 and is carried at the end of a member 4 ot' the base, which is shown as curved whereby the post is offset with respect to the remainder of the base, enabling the lamp to be carried in a position such as will enable it to properly illuminate the number plate. The post 3 is nearly: circular, but is provided with a face 3. This face is flat and lies in a. plane which forms an angle with a plane passing through the axis of the number plate socket. The purpose of this construction of post will be explained hereinafter.

The end of the base opposite the post 3 is l provided at its lower portion with a double socket. This socket comprises a slot 5 having a transverse enlargement at its central portion as shown at U. The slot 5 is adapted to receive either a tlat or rounded post- 5'' j projecting upwardly from the lamp-surporting arm which is usually carried by the vehicle. The rounded post is shown in Fig. l. The transverse enlargement G at the cenot the rounded post, which may be carried by said arm instead of a flat or elongated plate. The transverse enlargement comprises two oppositely loated notches, one of which is rounded and the other angular. From the side of the socket containing the rounded notch, there projects a boss 7, the boss being threaded tor the reception of a set screw 7 which is adapted to engage either the elongated plate or the rounded post, to retain the bracket in place on the arm 5". From opposite sides of the vertical socket just described there project upwardly two arms 8 and these arms carry at their upper ends av horizontal socket 9. The end of the horizontal socket which is adjacent to the post 3 is provided with an inwardly projecting tlange 10 which forms a stop for the inner end of a rod 11. The socket is provided with an internally threaded boss 12 for the. reception of a set screw 13 by means of which the rod 11 is held in place in said socket. I

l t denotes the number plate, the same being of any standard type and being shown as provided with a pair of elongated slots 15 beneath the upper edge thereof. This plate is supported from the rod 11 by means of a pair of socket members 16, which are sleeved upon the rod and are each provided witha set. screw 17 by means of which they may be clamped securely on the rod. Each of the socket members is provided with a projection 18 having an elongated face adapted to bear against and conform in shape to the rear side of the number plate (the term rear being here employed to indicate the side of the plate which is opposite the number-bearing side). The upper end of each projection 18 is provided with a bore for the reception-of a bolt 19, said bolt having a head adapted to bear against the front of the plate and being provided With a nut 20 by means of which the plate may be securely clamped to the elongated face of the socket member.

tral portion of the slot. is for the reception 21 denotes a lamp, of any approved type,

which is shown as mounted upon the post 3,

being secured thereto by means of a set screw 22, which bears against the flattened face 3" of said post. By the curvature ofthearm 4, the lamp is offset from the number-plate socket, enabling it to be supported in proper position to illuminate the number plate. At

-the same time, the inclination given to-the face 3 insuresthe directing of the rays of li lit against the plate in such manner as to effectively illuminate the same,- as will appear more particularly by reference to the line aa of Fig. 2, which line represents the ilirection of the rays of light emitted by the a1np.-

It will be observed that the point at which the bracket is supported is intermediate between the number plate and the rod 14 on one side and the lamp 21 on the other side.

'By this construction the lamp and plate serve to balance each other,'thereby relievmg the parts of the bracket from unnecessary strain.

By reference to Fig. 4. it will be seen that the rod 11 engages opposite ends of the socket 9 and is retained in place therein by the set screw 13. This set screw/is for the purpose of preventing rattling of the rodll in the socket, the displacement of such rod, both rotarily and longitudinally, being pre vented by means of a cotter pin 23 and flange 10. The socket 9 is cut out-at its lower cent-ralportion to provide a recess or' the substitution of a flat post or. plate 24 for the rounded post 3, the

urpose of such substitution being to enabih the bracket to be used with a lamp .having a corresponding socket. The plate or post 24 has both faces thereof inclined with respect to the axis of the socket 9, in the same manner that the face 3 of post 3 is inclined with respect to" such socket. In all other respects, the

bracket shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is identical with that shown in the preceding figures.

It Will be observed that the socket members 16 areadjustable, both longitudinally and rotarily, with respect to. the rod 11. This accommodates my device for various styles and lengths of plates and also enables the plates to be tilted at the most effective angle with respect to the lamp for illu'minm tion and inspection. Furthermore, the construction of the socket 9, including the flange l0 and the recess in the under portion thereof cooperating with the cotter pin 23 provides an efficient support for the rod 11, whereby said rod may be clamped securely in place and held against displacement.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: p I

l. A device of the character set forth comprising a base having at one end thereof a verticall extending socket and a horizontal socket a ove the first-mentioned socket and having at its opposite end a lamp-supporting post having a face inclined with respect to the axis of the horizontal socket.

2. A device of the character set forth comprising a base havin a number-plate supportand having a provided with a face inclined with respect to the number plate support.

3. A device of the character set forth comprising a'base having atone end thereof a lamp-supporting post and at its other end a rod-supporting socket, said post being offset'with respect to said socket and having a face converging toward the axis of said socket, a lamp having a socket for said post,

and a" set screw securing said lamp to said post and...beari'ng against said face.

nip-supporting post 1 l. A device of the character set forthcomprising a base having a lamp-supportin member and a socket having a recess, a to mounted in said socket, and a pin extending across said recess and through said rod.

5. A-deviee f the character set forth com .prising a base having a lamp-supportin member and a socket, a rod mounted in sai socket, said socket having an o eningin the body thereof, and a pin exten ing through said rod and said opening.

64 A device of the character'set forth comprising a base having a lamp supporting member and a socket, a rod mounted in said socket, said socket having an opening in the body thereof bounded on opposite'sides by walls forming an angle with each other,

and a pin extending through said rod and g s c d engaging the angles at opposite sides of the socket. f

7. A device of the character setforth comn'isin a base havin a lam '-'su ortin WILLIAM B. HUGHES. Witnesses: Y

J. B..HULL,

BRENNAN B. When 

